Speed-indicating signal



March 11 1924.

M.- JACKSON SPEED INDICATING SIGNAL Filed Feb. 11, 1.922 2 Sheets-Sheet1 gnvenhn, We; Jacksqw Marsh 11 1924.

M. JACKSON SPEED INDICATING SIGNAL Filed Feb. 11, 1.922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..i||! I p p Q p I I I I n I n I 3 gvwe'ntoz Wmey Jafisor a' attorneyPatented Mar. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

(l'ACKBON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR, BY IESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '1'0MOTOR SAFETY INDICATOR, INC., A CORPORATION OI? WASHINGTON.-

( I SPEED-INDICATING STGNAL application filed February 11, 1922. SerialNo. 585,686.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Maxmr JACKSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in S cod-IndicatingSignals, of which the 0 lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and 310 useful improvements inspeed indicatin signals, of that general character in whic a light isemployed toindicate the speed at which a vehicle is traveling.

The present invention has for its objects i among others to rovide asimple and efficient device readi y applied to a vehicle,'in any desiredposition, in any convenient manner, either as a s ometer per se, orconnected u with the speedometer on the ve 2&0 hicle.

t is designed to indicate by the showing of a variety of colors oflights the rate of speed at which the vehicle is travel ing. The showingof the different colored lights is accomplished by means oi a revolublemember automatically controlled in its movements by the speed of thevehicle so that no attention thereof on the part of the driver of thecar is necessary. It is absolutely dependable in its action, durable,not

so liable to get out of order composed of few parts, those readilyassemhled and not liable to get out of order. It will efiecta greatsaving of life and will aid the olice in positively determining the rate0 speed the car is traveling, for the light which is exhibited is apositive indisputable evidence of the speed at which the car is moving.For instance, if a blue light indicates a speed of 50 miles an hour, ifthe blue light is shown there can be no mistake as to the speed of thecar. So with the red light and the others. There is no opportunity fordispute as termine at a distance the rate at which the car isapproaching. I may employ two of my improved devices, one at the frontand one at the rear, if occasion should require. I can provide forvisual indication to the driyercas well as to the general public and thepolice so that all may readily know at what speed the ear is moving.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be specifically de fined by theappended claims.

to'the speed, and the police can de-" The generic idea of my presentinvention is capable of embodiment in a variet of forms, some only ofwhich it has n thought necessary, to herein illustrate.

. The invention, in its preferred forms is clearly illustrated in theaccompanym drawings, which, with the numerals of re erence markedthereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Fl 1 is a faceview of my improved spec indicating signal.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the same as on the line 22 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

' igure 3 is an edge view thereof- Figure i is a vertical section, as onthe line H of Figure 9;, looking in the direc tion of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a face view oi a modified form.

Figure '6 is a vertical section, as on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, lookingthe dircction of the arrows.

Figure Z is a vertical section on the line "i of Figure (blocking in thedirection oi the arrows.

Like numerals of reference indicate, like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings Attention is directed first to Figures to 4,in which 1 is a casing oi. any suitahle shape and size adapted tocontain ache operating parts. It is designed to be attached to thedash-board, or any other convenient partof the vehicle; there may be oneat the front and one at the rear, ii desired. The operation will be thesame whether afiixed at the front or rear or on the fender. In thepresent instance, I have shown bracinets 2 having flanges 3 with holes 4for the a reception of the securing means, and bolts 5 provided withthumb'nuts so that the brackets may be held in position but readilyadjusted to accommodate the casing to the support to which it is to beattached.

I e device as herein disclosed may be manufactured as a speedometercomplete in itself to be applied and operated by the same means thatactuates the s edometer as n wmade, or it may be emp oyed as an adjunctto the speedometer and operating in conj unction' therewith.

The casin has the side openings 7 in which are isposed the lenses ,8through which the lights will show when lighted.

Al'fthe front there is the lens '9, through I 14 is a bevel gearoperated by the speed controlled means in the usual way, and this gearmeshes with a bevel gear 15 on the shaft 11 and revolves the disk. It isto be understood that this disk is free to turn in either direction,forward or backward, and

carried by the said disk are a multiplicity of electric light bulbs 16of different colors, for instance, the first to show through the lens 9would be a white light, the next a light blue, the next a dark blue, thenext an orange, the next green, and so on until a speed of sixty milesis reached, when a dark red light would be shown. The relativedisposition of the colors of the lights,

however, may be varied at will without in any wise departing from the sirit of the invention which is to have a di erent light for a diflerentspeed, the relation of the color of the light to the speed, however,being fixed in any one section, so that the pedestrian or others, or thepolice, may readily know for a certainty just what speed the car ismaking. There can be no question or ground for dispute as to the s ed.

17 is a wire leadingfrom the lighting system of the car and extendedupwithin the casing, as seen in Figure 2, and connected with a contact18 within'the casing. The contact is arranged in the path of revolutionof the bases 19 of the lamps 16, as Wlll be readily understood fromFigure 2.

In operation: Normally, of course, the disk remains stationary and nolight will be shown. When the carattains a speed say of ap roximatelyfifteen miles an hour, the isk will have revolved to such an extent thatthe base of the white light '20 Wlll be brought into contact with thecontact 18 of the same and the lamp will be lighted. Now, if the s eedincreases the next lamp in rotation wi be brought into engagement withthe contact, with the resultthat it will be lighted and so on; eachlight indicating a fixed or predetermined rate of speed which willpositively give visual indication of the rate at which the vehicle istraveling. If the speed slackens,

of course, the disk, revolving in the reverse direction, will throw outthe one light and light the next in order and so on. There 9 4; be .1question as to the rate of speed conditions.

because only the appropriate or predetermined lamp can be 11 hted' at agiven time, or position of the disk.

In the forms shown in Figures 5, (S and 7, I have shown an embodiment ofthe same principle as just described, but in what may be termed areversal of the parts, that is, instead of having a plurality ofdifferent colored lamps carried by the disk, the disk 21 is providedwith a multiplicity of differently colored lenses 22, the colors beingarranged in the same order as the diflerently colored lamps in the formshown in Figures 1 to 4. The disk 21 is operated in the same manner asin the other form, 23 being the shaft carrying the bevel gear 2 1meshing with the bevel gear 25 actuated in the same manner as in theprior described form, 26 being the flexible member and 27 the enclosingtube therefor. In

this form, 28 is the wire from the lightin system, and 29 a. white lightconnect therewith and adapted to be at all times lighted when the speedindicating signal is to be used. The casing is the same and is designedto be afiixed in desired position by the same form of means, or anyother that maiy be found most desirable.

n operation, as the car is moving, the disk 21 will be revolved and aseach lens 22 is in succession brought into position opposite the light29, a light, colored in accordance with the color of the lens, will beshown. The result is the same as in the form above described inconnection with Figures 1 to 4.

Any other suitable means may be pro-,

vided for transmitting the motion to the disk, such a a knuckle joint orother analogous means usually employed under such It i to be understoodthat the bevel gear mechanism which I have chosen to herein illustrateis but one of the many forms of means for accomplishing the rotation ofthe disk.

In some cases I may provide for the showing of the lights to the driver,so that he may at all-times know by the color of the light just whatspeed he is making. This would simply mean the duplication of the diskwith the lights toward the driver, or the same disk with openingstherein through which the lights would be visible by the driver. Theseand like minor changes are believed to come clearly within the scope ofmy invention and are such as do not require illustratidn.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that I have devised a simple,reliable and positive means for visually indicating the rate of speed atwhich a vehicle is moving and adapted to serve alone or 'connectiblewith the speedometer on the car, and while the structural embodimentsofmy invention as herein disclosed are what I at'the present timeconsider preferable it will be understood that the .same is subject tochanges, variations and modifications in detail, proportion of parts,etc., without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingany of its advantages. I, therefore, do not intend to restrict myself tosuch particular construction and arrangement of parts, but reserve theright to make such changes, variations and proportions of parts as comeproperly within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is ,c

1. In a speed indicator signal, a rotary member controlled in itsmovements by the member, means for actuating the same in one dlrectlonor the other In accordance with the speed of the vehicle, anddifferentlycolored means carried by the said member' and arranged todisplay a differently colored light in accordance with the position ofsaid member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MAXEY J ACIISON.

